Volvo News: Volvo Setting 112 MPH Speed Limit on All Cars in 2020

[Drew Dowdell]

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Volvo has announced that all 2020 Volvos will come with an electronically limited top speed of 180 kph or 112 mph.  The move is in pursuit of its Vision 2020 goal to have no fatalities or serious injuries in a new Volvo by 2020.  The company identified three remaining gaps in its plan, one of which being speeding. Volvo says that the problem with high speeds is that above a certain point, in-car safety technology is no longer sufficient to prevent serious injury.

The company is also investigating a smart speed control system that will use GPS and geofencing to limit top speed around schools and hospitals.

The two other gap areas Volvo has identified are intoxication and distracted driving.  Volvo will present ideas to tackle these problems at a special event on March 20th.

Volvo Press Release on Page 2

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Volvo Cars to impose 180 kph speed limit on all cars to highlight dangers of speeding

Volvo Cars, as a worldwide leader in safety, is sending a strong signal about the dangers of speeding and will limit the top speed on all its cars to 180 kph from 2020.

 

The company’s Vision 2020, which aims for no one to be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo by 2020, is one of the most ambitious safety visions in the automotive industry. But realising that technology alone will not get it all the way to zero, Volvo Cars is now broadening its scope to include a focus on driver behaviour.

 

Research by Volvo Cars has identified three remaining concerns for safety that constitute so-called ‘gaps’ in its ambition to completely end serious injuries and fatalities in its cars, with speeding a very prominent one.

 

“Volvo is a leader in safety: we always have been and we always will be,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive. "Because of our research we know where the problem areas are when it comes to ending serious injuries and fatalities in our cars. And while a speed limitation is not a cure-all, it’s worth doing if we can even save one life.”

 

Apart from limiting top speeds, the company is also investigating how a combination of smart speed control and geofencing technology could automatically limit speeds around schools and hospitals in future.

 

“We want to start a conversation about whether car makers have the right or maybe even an obligation to install technology in cars that changes their driver´s behaviour, to tackle things like speeding, intoxication or distraction,” said Mr. Samuelsson. “We don’t have a firm answer to this question, but believe we should take leadership in the discussion and be a pioneer.”

 

The problem with speeding is that above certain speeds, in-car safety technology and smart infrastructure design are no longer enough to avoid severe injuries and fatalities in the event of an accident. That is why speed limits are in place in most western countries, yet speeding remains ubiquitous and one of the most common reasons for fatalities in traffic.

 

Millions of people still get speeding tickets every year and traffic accident data from the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration shows that 25 per cent of all traffic fatalities in the US in 2017 were caused by speeding.

 

People simply do not recognise the danger involved in speed, says Jan Ivarsson, one of Volvo Cars’ leading safety experts.

 

“As humans, we all understand the dangers with snakes, spiders and heights. With speeds, not so much,” said Mr Ivarsson. “People often drive too fast in a given traffic situation and have poor speed adaption in relation to that traffic situation and their own capabilities as a driver. We need to support better behaviour and help people realise and understand that speeding is dangerous.”

 

Beyond speeding, two other problem areas constitute ‘gaps toward zero’. As obvious a problem as speeding (and as difficult to end) is intoxication. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal in large parts of the world, yet it remains a prime reason for injuries and fatalities on today’s roads.

 

The other area is distraction. Drivers distracted by their mobile phones or otherwise not fully engaged in driving are another major cause of traffic fatailities. In many ways, they are equally dangerous as drunk drivers.

 

Volvo Cars will present ideas to tackle the problem areas of intoxication and distraction at a special safety event in Gothenburg, Sweden on March 20.

 

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[ykX]

No serious injuries at 112mph? LOL

I don't think too many people survive crashes even at 80mph.

[David]

Volvo just threw a bone to aftermarket programmers.

[Drew Dowdell]

1 hour ago, ykX said:

No serious injuries at 112mph? LOL

I don't think too many people survive crashes even at 80mph.

yeah, but they're gonna try and limit it on the Autobahn.

[Robert Hall]

I see no problem with speed limiting...outside of the autobahn and race tracks, there aren't any real world use cases where one would or need to go much past 85..

[David]

44 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

I see no problem with speed limiting...outside of the autobahn and race tracks, there aren't any real world use cases where one would or need to go much past 85..

Just give me the real important number TORQUE! Let me move to highway speed quickly, many of GMs auto's do that, but plenty of others are pathetic trying to get up to highway speed.

[Robert Hall]

Yeah, in the real world torque is way more useful than horsepower...    I remember a few times driving my sister's Trax in AZ w/ the metered stop lights on ramps and the challenge of getting up to speed to get on the freeway...  my old Jeep was passable....but the DTS excelled in the ramp-to-freeway dash... 

Edited March 4, 2019 by Robert Hall

[smk4565]

Limit of 112 mph sounds boring.  I get that you'd almost never see triple digit speed on public roads outside of an autobahn type setting but still.  I also suspect there are very few accidents where speeding is the cause, 90% of the time it is people not paying attention.  You probably see as many accidents in 25 mph zones as you do on the autobahn with people doing 125.

[surreal1272]

So much for my plan to go 113MPH in a new Volvo.

[Robert Hall]

I could see a speed limiter being an issue on a Porsche, but on a Volvo?  Has anyone every actually gone over a speed limit in a Volvo?  Speeding really isn’t in the Volvo image.  

[Drew Dowdell]

People buy Volvos for safety and comfort... not to be able to go 113mph.  This wouldn't weigh in on my decision to buy one or not at all.

[daves87rs]

Not big on nanny wear....while there’s a good chance I’m not going 113mph, sometimes you might need a kick to merge on a speedy highway or something.

Limiting speed is not going to help the stupid.....

[ccap41]

14 hours ago, smk4565 said:

I also suspect there are very few accidents where speeding is the cause, 90% of the time it is people not paying attention.  You probably see as many accidents in 25 mph zones as you do on the autobahn with people doing 125.

They're talking about fatalities. I'm not surprised you overlooked something though. 😉

[Robert Hall]

59 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

They're talking about fatalities. I'm not surprised you overlooked something though. 😉

Higher speed crashes tend to have more fatalities than lower speed crashes, regardless of the maker of the car.   And in other news, boiling water can burn one's hands. 

[ccap41]

12 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

Higher speed crashes tend to have more fatalities than lower speed crashes, regardless of the maker of the car.   And in other news, boiling water can burn one's hands. 

EXACTLY what they are going for. 

112mph still seems pretty high but there must be a study out there saying crashes above 112mph tend to be much worse than 100mph. 🤷‍♂️

[Robert Hall]

4 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

EXACTLY what they are going for. 

112mph still seems pretty high but there must be a study out there saying crashes above 112mph tend to be much worse than 100mph. 🤷‍♂️

112 mph is 180 km/h...maybe that has some significance.  Otherwise, seems like a random number.

[ccap41]

5 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

112 mph is 180 km/h...maybe that has some significance.  Otherwise, seems like a random number.

In all fairness, speed limiters have always been a pretty random number in MPH(on non- high performance cars). After this came out I decided to look at an F150 for shts and it's limited to like 107 or 108. 

[Robert Hall]

1 minute ago, ccap41 said:

In all fairness, speed limiters have always been a pretty random number in MPH(on non- high performance cars). After this came out I decided to look at an F150 for shts and it's limited to like 107 or 108. 

Speed rating on tires are often a limiting factor... 

[ccap41]

2 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

Speed rating on tires are often a limiting factor... 

Most definitely. Still odd numbers. 

[Drew Dowdell]

55 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

Most definitely. Still odd numbers. 

180 kph must be some meaningful number on the autobahn. 

[David]

@Drew Dowdell @ccap41

Now not a Fact, but according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobahn you have 3 speeds, far right is max of 130kph, middle lane is up to 150 kph and far left lane is for auto's 170kph and above.

I am thinking the 180 kph is to allow all driving on the autobahn but keep a lid on the top end speed to keep the auto safe? 🤷‍♂️

I do question the speed limits as auto's have gotten so safe and according to wiki again the crash and death rates on the autobahn are some of the lowest anywhere.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_in_Germany 

[Drew Dowdell]

Other manufacturers have governed top speeds as well, just not across the board.

18 minutes ago, dfelt said:

@Drew Dowdell @ccap41

Now not a Fact, but according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobahn you have 3 speeds, far right is max of 130kph, middle lane is up to 150 kph and far left lane is for auto's 170kph and above.

I am thinking the 180 kph is to allow all driving on the autobahn but keep a lid on the top end speed to keep the auto safe? 🤷‍♂️

I do question the speed limits as auto's have gotten so safe and according to wiki again the crash and death rates on the autobahn are some of the lowest anywhere.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_in_Germany 

Part of the reason the autobahn is so safe is that it is harder to get a driver's license in Germany than it is in the US.  There is a lot more training involved and much much much better adherence to the rules of the road, even on the autobahn.  You simply don't get people hanging out in the left lane going well under the speed limit because they know they'll get clobbered. 

We would need national strict enforcement of the passing lanes in this country to make any autobahn work here.  The whole driving population would need to be retrained in how to drive. 

[Robert Hall]

Driving skills and car maintenance in general are so awful in the US I couldn't imagine the level of carnage with autobahn level speed limits here..Americans in general are too incompetent.  They would be playing on their phones, ironing clothes, eating, etc..

IIRC at one time the German automakers had an agreement to have 155mph as the top speed on their cars. 

 

[David]

51 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Other manufacturers have governed top speeds as well, just not across the board.

Part of the reason the autobahn is so safe is that it is harder to get a driver's license in Germany than it is in the US.  There is a lot more training involved and much much much better adherence to the rules of the road, even on the autobahn.  You simply don't get people hanging out in the left lane going well under the speed limit because they know they'll get clobbered. 

We would need national strict enforcement of the passing lanes in this country to make any autobahn work here.  The whole driving population would need to be retrained in how to drive. 

Population control is what that is called. Imagine all the idiots we would have go away with an Autobahn style freeway system. Love the idea.

Eventually it would be super safe once the morons who cannot drive or are afraid to drive are off the road.

After all driving is a privilege earned and we have so many idiots that think it is a right.  

We really do need retraining of the drivers in this country.

 

[Drew Dowdell]

47 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

Driving skills and car maintenance in general are so awful in the US I couldn't imagine the level of carnage with autobahn level speed limits here..Americans in general are too incompetent.  They would be playing on their phones, ironing clothes, eating, etc..

IIRC at one time the German automakers had an agreement to have 155mph as the top speed on their cars. 

 

Darwin isn't a strong enough force unfortunately.